


And Now We're Here

by bleebug



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-20
Updated: 2016-05-24
Packaged: 2018-06-09 12:34:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6907432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bleebug/pseuds/bleebug
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Exhaustion sets in for Killian and Emma during the celebration at Granny's. Snow and David send them home to rest. (Set immediately after the end of the season 5 finale. Chapter 1 is rated T, Chapter 2 is E.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Tattoos and Rest

They weren’t even half an hour into their victory celebration at Granny’s before Emma had nodded off, her head resting against Killian’s shoulder, his left arm wrapped loosely around her waist.

 

Killian was having trouble keeping his own eyes open. The impromptu trip to another realm, getting nearly strangled to death by Hyde, sitting hours in the backseat of Gold’s car from New York to Storybrooke - they all had taken quite the toll. He felt like he could sleep for ages. He pinched the bridge of his nose and used his knuckles to wipe away the sleep from his eyes. David was in deep conversation with Dr. Jekyll and Zelena, but Snow noticed the motion immediately.

 

“You both should go home and get some sleep. I know Emma hasn’t really had the opportunity since we returned from the Underworld.”

 

Killian nodded his assent and peered down at Emma’s sleeping face, the corners of his lips twitching upward. He brushed his fingertips against her cheek.

 

“Emma, darling,” he said softly. Her brow creased slightly as she stirred awake.

 

“Mmm?”

 

“We should get you home and to bed, love.” He pressed his lips to her forehead and pulled back as her eyes fluttered open. The two both wore sleepy smiles on their faces as their eyes met.

 

Snow wrapped her hand around David’s under the table, pleased to see the gentle and sweet display. Emma had been through so much and Snow was ecstatic that things had all worked out for the both of them. David pulled away from his conversation and squeezed her hand, shooting a meaningful glance her way. As much as he’d tried to fight it in the past, he had to admit that Killian had become an important friend and had managed to earn his unyielding approval. He was just as pleased at the outcome of events, especially seeing how happy his daughter was. Not that he planned on telling Killian that anytime soon.

 

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to fall asleep,” Emma mumbled, adjusting so she could sit upright again. “We can stay for a little longer.”

 

“Nope,” David chuckled. He then adopted a stern look. “I’m grounding you. You are going to go home and go to sleep, young lady. I don’t want to see you at the station tomorrow, either.”

 

Emma rolled her eyes and Snow hid her smile behind her mug of cocoa. Killian wasn’t quite sure what “grounding” was, but he figured by David’s tone it might be a Dad thing.

 

“Grounded, huh? And what, pray tell, have I done to deserve this punishment?” she asked, trying (and failing) to hide her amusement.

 

“How about for talking back to your parents?” David lifted his brow, almost reminiscent of Killian’s all-too-familiar challenging expression.

 

Emma’s shoulders shook with her silent laughter and she pressed her forehead against Killian’s arm.

 

“Sorry,” Jekyll interrupted. “Parents? Am I missing something?”

 

Zelena rolled her eyes at that, and Emma heaved a sigh. Every time they met someone new, they had to recount their history to explain how Snow and David had a daughter their own age. It was a story Emma was pretty sick of hearing at this point.

 

“And that’s our cue,” she muttered before anyone could get the chance to explain it to him. She glanced out the back door at her bug. She had been driving all day and really had no desire to continue; she probably wasn’t even capable of doing so without falling asleep at the wheel.

 

“You need me to drive you both home?” David piped. Emma shook her head.

 

“Nah. I’ll just poof us back and get the bug tomorrow.” She turned to Killian. “That okay?”

 

“Splendid. I think I’ve been cramped inside a car long enough for one day.”

 

“Sleep well, honey. Call if you need anything. Your father and I will likely take the day off tomorrow, too.”

 

Emma gave brief goodbyes to her parents and then waved her hand, a puff of smoke carrying herself and Killian out of the diner.

 

“So… you _are_ her parents?” Jekyll asked incredulously. “Do you use some kind of magic to stay looking so young?”

 

David and Snow laughed at that. It would certainly be an easier explanation than the truth. Before they could answer, though, the door to Granny’s diner burst open, a frantic Henry rushing in, Regina not far behind.

 

“Grandma, Grandpa!” Henry heaved.

 

“What is it?” Snow asked. Henry looked around the diner.

 

“Wait… where’s Mom and Hook?”

 

“Not here, obviously,” Zelena scoffed, very nearly rolling her eyes at the boy. But then she noticed the wide-eyed look on Regina’s face and straightened up in her chair. They all became tense, now on full alert. “What’s the problem, Regina?”

 

“The _problem_ ,” she began, placing a firm hand on Henry’s shoulder to try and calm him, “is that our friend here isn’t the only one from that strange land to make it into town.”

 

Jekyll blanched, immediately assuming the worst.

 

“Ugh, tell me it isn’t that bloody creep, Hyde,” Zelena cringed.

 

“Not just Hyde…” She paused, looking between everyone’s faces. “Apparently, Gold made a deal with him. Everyone from that land is now here in Storybrooke.”

 

“Damn it,” David muttered. He wiped a hand over his face in defeat. “Barely a moment of peace…”

 

“We need to get my mom and Hook. We’ll need their help.”

 

“No,” Snow argued. “Both of them have been through too much recently. They need to rest.”

 

“But-“

 

“Henry,” Regina interrupted. “Those two haven’t had much sleep in… well, in months, I’d say. They’ll be no use in a fight if they’re too exhausted to think rationally.”

 

“They both have their phones on them. If we end up needing their help we can just call,” David explained.

 

Henry huffed before nodding in agreement. He knew as well as anyone how little rest they’d both had after Emma had consumed the darkness months ago.

 

“There’s something else.” All eyes turned to Regina as she nervously clenched her hands. “Hyde said something to me… and I can’t be sure, I mean, I have no proof – I thought I’d destroyed her, but I just have this feeling –“

 

“Mom, what are you talking about?”

 

“Regina?” Snow asked nervously, eyes boring into Regina’s. “Are you about to say what I think you’re going to say…?”

 

“… I think the Evil Queen may be back.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

The smoke dissipated and instead of sitting in one of Granny’s worn red booths, Emma and Killian were seated at the foot of their bed.

 

While Emma leaned over to pull off her boots, Killian took in his surroundings. The room was large enough to fit the canopy bed, two sets of matching dressers, nightstands, as well as the two chairs in a sitting area in one corner. Bookshelves lined the wall across from them, filled to the brim with both books and nautical themed trinkets, and in the center was a bay window overlooking the ocean. The furniture was all stained a rich walnut, including the simple, delicately carved posts of their bed. The walls were all an off-white, but the room was aglow with the light of the soon setting sun. It was very comfortable and warm and Killian was already very pleased to call this their room. But when he finally looked behind him toward the headboard, he was astonished to see the massive painting hanging above their bed.

 

It was the Jolly Roger, battling her way through rough waves and stormy gray skies. Lightning was striking behind her, and rain pelted against the sails. He could almost make out some crewmen on deck, but he was positive that he could see a silhouette of himself at the helm, standing firmly against the raging storm.

 

He looked over to see Emma peeling off her leather jacket and dropping it on the floor next to her boots. She noticed and raised her eyebrows curiously. He smirked teasingly and nodded his head to the painting.

 

“Have someone in mind when you were decorating, Swan?”

 

She thought to give him a teasing response to that, but instead just nodded. Killian’s eyes softened and he turned back to the painting.

 

“It’s _our_ room,” she pressed. “Of course I would want the Jolly here. But since she can’t physically fit inside our house, I figured that would be the next best thing.”

 

Killian leaned over and kissed her cheek.

 

“It’s beautiful. Thank you.”

 

Emma just gave him an affectionate smile and continued her mission to rid herself of her clothes. She pulled her sweater over her head and dropped it to the floor. She didn’t bother removing her tank top – it would be comfortable to sleep in – but she did pop her bra open through the material of her shirt, managing to pull the undergarment out with ease.

 

Killian could not stop looking. He and Emma had yet to cross the threshold into physical intimacy. Their flirting and innuendo had always been present, sure, but before the darkness they both were trying to take things slowly. Killian knew Emma needed his patience with letting down her walls, and Emma knew if they were to move forward it would not just be sex – and making love was something that Emma had not done in a very long time. And then too many things were happening and they never quite found the right timing. So now, as she was stripping away the layers covering her, it was a little surprising to Killian that she was doing so without so much as a blush to her cheeks. He wasn’t expecting anything tonight; they were both desperately in need of sleep, but he couldn’t suppress the sudden rush of warmth filling his insides.

 

When she popped the button of her black jeans and pulled down the zipper, she noticed that Killian was sitting stock-still, his cerulean eyes locked on her. He didn’t seem to be entirely aware that he was staring. Internally, she was quite pleased to have this affect on him.

 

“Killian? Are you planning on sleeping with all of your clothes on?”

 

Killian shook his head, first to snap himself out of his reverie, then as a response to her question. He tore his gaze from her and detached his hook, dropping it unceremoniously on the rug below his feet. He made a point to focus on pulling off his shoes and jacket and waistcoat instead of watching Emma peel those skin-tight jeans down her legs – her long, pale, gorgeous legs. He went a little cross-eyed for a moment, the fatigue wearing on his ability to concentrate.

 

He couldn’t help but look up again when her hands reached behind her head to remove her hairband. She was now in nothing but her thin, white tank top and black panties and Killian took a deep breath. This was possibly the most beautiful Emma Swan had ever been to him – nearly bare, running her fingers through her long, golden strands, and shooting him a look of pure amusement.

 

“Need a hand?” she teased, softly biting her lip.

 

Killian smirked and quirked a brow at her as he began popping the buttons of his shirt, his eyes locked with hers. If she wanted to be a tease, he would be a tease right back. When he finally got the last button undone, a small strip of his torso bared to Emma’s gaze, he paused.

 

Emma frowned, confused at Killian’s sudden change in demeanor. His expression became almost nervous, and she wasn’t sure what to make of that. Surely, he couldn’t suddenly be self-conscious about his body?

 

“Killian?” He scratched behind his ear, a nervous tell that Emma had learned to read early on. “What’s wrong?”

 

“It’s… well, I suppose I never mentioned it before… I wasn’t sure how you’d feel about it…”

 

“What is it?” she asked, her voice lowered almost to a whisper now. Her first thought was that perhaps Killian had some nasty scars he didn’t want her to see – which would be absurd, she thought, since Killian knew she wouldn’t care.

 

A bit reluctantly, Killian began to remove his shirt. He pulled the right side off with ease, but Emma saw nothing she felt he should be nervous about. She was already familiar with the tattoo on his right forearm – the heart pierced by the Dark One’s dagger, Milah’s name scrawled across the front. It was a part of his history, and not something Emma would ever hold against him.

 

It really wasn’t a surprise that he had more tattoos scattered across his body. There was a compass and a map of some land Emma didn’t recognize on his upper arm, a memorial tattoo for Liam drawn over his ribs, and an anchor on his hip, dipping below his waistband.

 

Hundreds of years working aboard his ship had left his muscles quite defined, and it was all she could do not to reach out and trace the dark hairs swirling around his chest, leading downward, teasing all the way down past the button of his dark jeans. His skin was marred with plenty of scars, some wide and misshapen and others just thin, white lines, but none were displeasing to look at.

 

It wasn’t until Killian pulled the fabric from his left arm that Emma realized what exactly he had been worried about.

 

Right beneath his shoulder was a large tattoo wrapped around his left arm. A swan, wings outstretched, almost appearing to be a halo around its head. In the center was the North Star, and overtop of the image lied a ribbon with her name written across it. It covered almost the entirety of his upper arm, and there was a burst of blues and greens behind the image, making it appear even larger.

 

Killian’s jaw ticked as he studied Emma’s face, which she was managing to keep surprisingly void of emotion at the moment.

 

She reached out and brushed her fingertips across the image, her gaze jumping up to Killian’s face. He wasn’t sure what to expect, but it was certainly not the next words out of her mouth.

 

“I didn’t realize that Storybrooke had a tattoo parlor.”

 

Killian let out a brief huff of a laugh and relaxed into Emma’s touch.

 

“It doesn’t.”

 

“No? Then where’d you get it?”

 

“… The Enchanted Forest.”

 

Emma scrunched her brows together, confused. The last time any of them had been in the Enchanted Forest was before the second curse… not counting the short trip to the past that she and Killian had gone on, but they had been together the whole time. Had he traveled back there sometime recently without her knowing?

 

“Killian… when did you get this?”

 

He scratched behind his ear again and Emma knew what he was going to say before the words even came out.

 

“During the year you were in New York.”

 

“That was before we were even together!” Her tone made Killian cringe a little and with that she softened. “You got this when you thought you’d never see me again?”

 

“Aye… Emma, you do know I was in love with you even then.”

 

The way he said is as a statement, as fact, instead of a question, made Emma’s cheeks burn. She had been at least somewhat aware of Killian’s feelings then, though perhaps not the depth of them. His confession in the Echo Caves had been something she’d been trying to push to the back of her mind at the time. But he had loved her enough to want to brand himself with a part of her, even knowing that he would never see her again – never touch or kiss her, never get to know more about her, never have her love him in return.

 

She slid her hand up from his arm to his cheek, brushing her thumb through his scruff, and leaned in to kiss him. He met her halfway, pressing his lips firmly against hers and immediately grasping at the loose locks of hair at her shoulder. Their heads tilted a bit more as they broke apart, just enough to take a short breath before their open mouths found each others’ again. Killian’s nose pressed into her cheek and he tugged on her hair to pull her closer. Emma shifted, wrapping both arms around his neck and moving so she was sitting atop one of her legs.

 

Killian’s brace pressed against the small of her back and she was suddenly very aware of all of the places where their skin touched. Killian’s chest against hers, the wiry hairs tickling against the skin not covered by her shirt. She inched forward, her knee sliding back next to his hip, and in one swift movement she hiked her other leg up and straddled his lap.

 

It would have been very arousing had the motion not made Emma sway from the rush of blood to her head. They broke apart and she let out a whoosh from her lungs as she rested her head against Killian’s shoulder. He moved his hand to her back, stroking gently as she steadied herself.

 

“Might be best if we call it quits for now,” Killian chuckled. She whined as she pulled back to pout at him. “ _Weeks_ ,” he reminded her. “You promised, Swan. We’ll have plenty of time later for… _pillaging and plundering_ , as you once so eloquently put it.”

 

She pursed her lips, trying to fight a smile, and nodded reluctantly but made no move to get off of him. Instead, she reached forward and pressed her lips chastely against the tattoo on his left arm. When she pulled back she gave him a beaming grin and he raised an eyebrow.

 

“I love it,” she said simply. Any nervousness he may have had before at revealing it was quickly erased as he slapped a smug grin on his face.

 

“I love _you_.”

 

She kissed him again, just a light peck against his lower lip.

 

“I love you, too, Killian.”

 

She finally crawled off of him and moved under the covers. Killian unstrapped his brace and rid himself of his jeans before joining her, clad only in boxer-briefs. Without saying another word, their bodies gravitated to one another. Emma slid a hand to his chest and he wound his around her waist, his fingertips dancing across her spine.

 

Their heads shared a pillow, shallow breaths filling the space between them, and Emma leaned forward just enough to brush the tip of her nose to Killian’s. His eyes slid closed at the gentle gesture and he hummed in contentment.

 

Emma sighed, the happiness at finally having Killian in her arms again releasing all the tension in her body. It took no more than a few beats of his heart beneath her palm for her eyes to shut and a deep, restful sleep to overcome them both.


	2. In Waking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma and Killian wake early in the morning and things get heated.

Killian stirred awake at the feeling of something tickling the skin of his cheek. When he opened his eyes, he saw an apologetic smile lighting Emma’s face. She was propped up on her elbow, staring down at him and brushing the back of her fingers across his face.

 

“Sorry… didn’t mean to wake you. You can go back to sleep,” she whispered.

 

He shook his head and grasped her wandering hand in his own.

 

“What time is it?” His voice was low and thick from sleep and Emma almost shivered at the sound. She peered over him at the alarm clock.

 

“Almost five.”

 

“Hmm. Did you sleep well?”

 

“Very. And you?”

 

He rolled on his side, forcing her down to lie beside him, and buried his face against her chest, firmly wrapping both arms around her waist. Emma let out an uncharacteristic giggle, which pleased him greatly, and pulled him tightly against her. She pressed a kiss to the top of his head and he sighed.

 

“I have never, in all my years, had such a wonderful night’s sleep.”

 

She stroked the back of his head, threading her fingers through his mess of hair, and breathed in his scent. She had always heard that olfactory senses were the most prominent in connection with memories and nostalgia, and now she understood why. He smelled of the sea, of leather and wood, of sweat and dirt… and memories flooded to the surface.

 

There was the dangerous pirate who saw straight through her from the very beginning, his words atop a beanstalk piercing through her soul with terrifying accuracy. She thought of the moment when he told her he believed he might be capable of more than the life he’d been living. There were memories of the man who fought to help her rescue her son – who risked his life to save her father. There was the moment immortalized on the pages of the storybook, memories of her first ball and her first dance with the first and only man who had ever truly fought for her.

 

She thought of every time he came back for her, every time he followed her into danger, every time that look passed over his features – the look of longing and devotion. And she thought of every time she left him behind or pushed him away, trying so desperately not to want him the way she did. He had loved her and believed in her long before she had accepted her growing feelings for him.

 

And then she thought of the darkness, that void that she had struggled to fight her way out of, only to pull him under with her. She thought of how it could have consumed him. But it didn’t. The power and pull of the darkness had been no match for the strength of his heart (now beating again in his chest, she reminded herself). And every single moment spent trapped in the Underworld had been worth it if this was her reward.

 

“And now that I think of it,” Killian continued, “I don’t think I’ve ever been so pleasantly awoken, either.”

 

Emma breathed a silent laugh and held him tighter. He nudged his nose against her sternum and then followed it with a soft brush of his lips. It started out sweetly enough, but Emma’s breath hitched when she felt his hand traveling up her back underneath her shirt and the warm, wet sweep of his tongue against her skin. She shivered as his mouth crept lower, giving open-mouthed kisses to the swell of her breast.

 

“Is now ‘later’?” she murmured, one of her hands trailing down his neck and over curve of his deltoid, dipping into the divot separating it from his bicep. She traced a circle around the compass etched into his skin.

 

He made no verbal response – just nosed aside the neckline of her tank to get access to where he wanted. His hand lightly massaged its way over her ribcage as he swiped his tongue over her straining nipple. She let a shaky breath out through her nose and licked her dry lips. Her dulled nails gently dug into his arm, not quite deep enough to mark his skin, and he lightly nipped at her peak.

 

“Killian,” she sighed. Warmth spread throughout her limbs and to her cheeks, but she was more concerned with the heat traveling downwards. She slid her leg over his, her knee resting at his hip, and he responded by pushing his own leg between hers, pressing almost instantly where she needed. “ _God_.”

 

Killian used his forearm as leverage to slowly push Emma onto her back and hover above her, and he trailed his mouth over to give her other breast the same attention. Emma arched her back, gripping his hair with one hand and kneading the muscles of his back with the other. She felt his arousal pressing against the top of her thigh and she couldn’t help but roll her hips against his leg, the friction enough to shallow her breathing.

 

Killian pulled away, breathing ragged and pupils blown wide, and gazed into her shimmering emerald eyes. Gently, he skimmed his lips across her neck, her cheeks, the dimple of her chin, and finally against her mouth.

 

“Emma.” He breathed her name reverently, like it was the only word he could conjure in the moment, the only one he remembered out of the thousands he had read and learned during his long, long life. His hand had already pushed her shirt up almost to her breasts and she lifted off the bed long enough for him to pull it over her head. There was little light in the room but Killian could see enough in the dark to know just how perfect she was, her body splayed out below him in passion.

 

His fingertips grazed against her breasts, the soft skin over her ribs, the dip of her belly button, and edged against the waistband of her underwear. He paused, silently asking her permission with a glance, and she nodded as she stroked behind his ear and down his neck.

 

He shifted down on the bed, shoving the covers aside and kissing the skin of her torso until his mouth made it to the same place as his hand. He hooked his fingers beneath the hem of her panties and, eyes never leaving hers, used his teeth to help slowly peel them from her body. Her hips lifted off the bed and then she watched, inflamed with want, as he made his way back up. He kissed her ankle, skimmed the tip of his nose across the inside of her calf, nibbled at the crease of her knee, and then licked and grazed his teeth along the inside of her thigh.

 

She had not expected him to provide this kind of pleasure for their first time. It shouldn’t have really been surprising – Killian had always put her needs before his own – but she didn’t want to be a passive participant. His hot breath was now teasing right above where she was craving him, but she stopped him with a gentle hand to his cheek.

 

“Killian… you know you don’t have to do that.”

 

He licked his lips slowly, very aware of Emma’s arousal weeping just inches from his face.

 

“I want to,” he said simply. His voice was husky with lust but his eyes shone with nothing but love and adoration. He tilted his head as he studied her expression. “Do you not want me to?”

 

“I– no, it’s not… I just… I want this to be for the both of us.”

 

Killian pressed a kiss with the slightest pressure against the inside of her thigh next to him.

 

“Believe me, this _is_ for both of us.” Emma didn’t seem entirely convinced, so Killian pressed on. “I desperately want to taste you, Emma. Let me?”

 

Her face was burning from the rush of blood that boiled right beneath the surface of her skin and she was sure he could see it even in the relative darkness of the room, but she bit her lip and nodded. His mouth on her… the thought made her fingers shake with anticipation.

 

He blew a small puff of air against her where she was wet and wanting, and her hips twitched at the feeling. Then he delicately brushed the tip of his tongue through her folds, swirling it around her entrance and up to her clit, gauging her responses to every movement he made. She did not disappoint. Her hums of pleasure and sharp breaths turned him on, possibly as much as having his face buried between her thighs, and he used the sounds to guide him on how to bring her to completion.

 

Her moans were soft and Killian felt like she might be holding her voice back on purpose. The thought that she might not want to let herself go completely, despite being in the privacy of their own home, was ridiculous and spurred him on. His lips wrapped around her clit and he sucked, hard, releasing her with a wet pop. She cried out his name and he could swear it echoed in the large room. He grinned against her skin, her sweat and arousal coating his lips, and continued his ministrations. His fingers teased at her entrance as his mouth stayed occupied with kissing and licking her hypersensitive cluster of nerves.

 

This wasn’t the first time someone had gone down on her. Neal had done so the first time and after prison there had been plenty of one-offs that had attempted such acts. Even Walsh (and she cringed a little at the thought of that monkey) had spent some time below. But this? Emma had never experienced what Killian was doing to her. It wasn’t just a means to get her off as quickly as possible. He groaned against her, the vibrations causing jolts of pleasure up her spine, and every time she made a sound it felt like his whole body shuddered in response. He was actually enjoying this for himself just as much as for her. She gripped at his hair as he built her up further, though she wasn’t sure if she was trying to pull him back or push him harder against her. His stubble scratched pleasantly against her trembling thighs as he worked, and she let out a guttural moan when two of his fingers slipped inside of her, the cool metal of his rings a sharp contrast to the scorching heat encompassing her body.

 

“Killian, I can’t…” she whined, brimming with pleasure and ready for release.

 

He redoubled his efforts at the arousing sound of the whimper of his name falling from her lips. Her hips were straining against his face as she unconsciously chased her peak. When he curled his fingers tightly inside of her and laved roughly against her clit, she shouted through her climax. White clouded her vision as she squeezed her eyelids shut. Her back arched, hips bowing off of the bed, and her toes curled almost painfully. Killian kept up the swirl of his tongue as she convulsed around his fingers, helping her maintain her orgasm as long as possible.

 

When she finally collapsed, she felt completely loose. Every bone in her body was weightless and she released her grip on Killian’s hair, her arms falling limply at her sides.

 

“ _Fuck_ , Killian,” she panted. He lifted his head and began climbing his way back up her body, his chest hairs tickling her skin as he pushed her legs aside to cradle his hips. When he finally made it back to her face, grinning like the smug bastard he was, Emma just bit her lip and gave him a lazy, sated smile.

 

“You’re incredible, darling.” He was unsure as to whether Emma would be turned off by her own taste, so he licked away her arousal from his lips and then pressed them softly to her cheek.

 

“Took the words right out of my mouth,” she mumbled, still trying to catch her breath.

 

Killian laughed, sincerely pleased that he’d brought her such intense satisfaction. She reached up and pulled him down for a thorough kiss, not repelled in the least by the remnants of her release on his tongue. He distributed most of his weight on his elbows and forearms but made sure Emma could feel his arousal pressing against her through the fabric of his underwear.

 

“Off with these,” she whispered against his lips. She tugged at his waistband and Killian was happy to oblige, lifting off of her body to hastily remove them. The rush of cold air against her overheated skin was almost pleasant, but not as much as the feeling when he returned, his straining erection now free and sliding up against her clit as he sucked at the skin of her neck.

 

“Emma?” he mumbled against her skin, hips rhythmically moving against hers. She could feel the wetness between her thighs dripping down and pooling below her hips on the sheets.

 

“Yes?”

 

Killian brought his lips back to hers, his tongue darting across her own and then swiping over her bottom lip. He sucked it into his mouth and when he pulled back, his eyes were full of nervous energy.

 

“I need…” he began, brows furrowing as he tried to put his thoughts into words. “Emma, I need– I just… _I need_.”

 

Emma nodded, understanding his intent. Her soft smile and the gentle sweep of her palm across his cheek encouraged him, but it was the feeling of her reaching down to pull his aching member in her other hand that had him releasing a husky, audible sigh. She guided him to her entrance, already soaked and ready for him, and suddenly all the words he wanted to say came pouring out.

 

“Gods, Emma, I love you– I love you so much and I have wanted you like this for so long, you have no idea–” he stammered. They both inhaled sharply as the tip of his length pushed past her entrance. “Bloody _perfect_. Every single part of you.”

 

Emma tried to ignore the stinging sensation that she felt building behind her lids and shut her eyes tight. She didn’t want to ruin this moment by becoming a sobbing mess underneath him, but he was _here_.

 

_Alive. In her arms._

 

Not two days ago they were saying their final farewells to one another. She could still feel the way his lips had pressed so lovingly and desperately against the back of her hand, her heart breaking into a million pieces as the rising elevator tore them away from each other. She had been sure that that was the last moment she would ever see him.

 

Killian pushed himself completely inside of her and she felt him press his lips softly against her cheek. It was then that she realized her attempts to quell her crying had been unsuccessful, but instead of pulling away, Killian was kissing away the tears. She worried he might think they were tears of pain, so she had words of reassurance poised on her tongue, but they melted away as soon as she opened her eyes.

 

Killian’s reddened eyes were shining, brimming with unshed tears of his own, and she realized his thoughts were in the same place as hers.

 

“I love you,” she whispered, the words forcing their way past the knot in her throat, and she grasped his cheeks in both of her hands to pull him in for a lingering kiss. It was much like the one she’d given him in the deepest part of the Underworld, but this time instead of the most intense sorrow she could ever imagine carving away at her soul, she could feel nothing but love and hope and so much happiness that it almost hurt. He pulled away only enough to press their foreheads together.

 

“I love you, Emma Swan. I’ll always, always love you.”

 

He shifted his hips back and the motion had Emma wrapping her legs around his back, both heels sharply pressing into him. He let out a strangled moan as he found a rhythm that set them both on fire. Emma willed away her tears as she focused on the coil of pleasure shooting through her stomach.

 

His hand gripped her thigh, kneading and stroking with his fingers as he held her against him. His tongue and teeth touched every inch of skin within reach and Emma writhed underneath his ministrations.

 

The push and pull of his length inside her was maddening, and every few times his hips bucked forward, he would hit her clit with such acute force that it lit stars behind her eyelids. Her hands wandered all over his body; thumbs stroking behind his neck, nails scratching against his back and shoulders, fingertips digging into his hips to urge him forward. With his face buried in the juncture of her neck and shoulder, she leaned forward to trace the swan on his arm with her tongue and teeth.

 

She felt the pressure building once again but she could tell that his left arm was straining from holding his weight for so long. She untangled her legs and pulled back, pushing her palms against his chest. For a moment, he paused to look down at her, utterly confused, but she reassured him with a smile and a kiss and pushed him beside her.

 

She sat up, quickly moving to straddle his prone form. He grunted at the sight of her sinking down onto his length from above. Her hair was clinging to her sweat-soaked skin, and she steadied herself above him by pressing one hand to his rigid stomach and the other to his thigh behind her. She bit her lip and threw her head back as she found a good rhythm, and Killian grasped at her hip with his hand. His left arm rested along her thigh, stroking along with her movements.

 

Without his mouth otherwise occupied, he found himself unable to stop talking.

 

“Emma. Fuck. You’re so bloody gorgeous. Gods, how did I ever get you?” he gasped. She hissed as she found a particularly pleasurable angle and locked eyes with him. “ _Perfect_. I mean it. You’re perfect, Emma. I can’t believe you’re mine.” She bit her lip and picked up her pace, feeling her orgasm building with every word out of his mouth. He moaned loudly, face contorting in pleasure. “Just like that, Emma. _Gods_. I don’t ever want to stop holding you like this.”

 

The muscles in her legs were shaking from the strain of her movements, but she was so close that she could feel a prickling sensation in her fingers and toes. Her moans grew louder and breaths more rapid and she fumbled to grasp Killian’s hand. He released her hip to entwine his fingers with hers, but she shook her head and brought it to right above where they were joined. Killian took the hint and pressed his thumb in tight circles against her clit as she rocked above him, her hand squeezing his wrist almost to the point of pain.

 

“Fuck, Killian, almost… almost…”

 

Killian pressed the soles of his feet to the bed and used them as leverage to lift his hips upward, meeting Emma thrust for thrust. He hoped she was as close as she said she was, because he couldn’t hold in his orgasm for much longer.

 

“ _Emma_ ,” he cried, a warning of his impending release.

 

She came with a violent shudder, her hips jerking as she continued with quick, shallow thrusts. Her walls quivered around his length and he let go, spilling inside of her with a hoarse shout. She rode him erratically until both of their orgasms had subsided and she slumped forward against him, sated and exhausted.

 

Neither moved a muscle for several minutes, both catching their breaths and letting their bodies cool down. Emma’s cheek rested against his shoulder and the scruff on his jaw grazed against her forehead. The feeling of his length softening inside her was a little uncomfortable and she finally shifted herself to the side, letting him slip out of her and resting her weight half on his body and half on the bed. One leg remained hitched over his hip, but she didn’t intend on removing it anytime soon.

 

His fingertips lightly touched indiscernible patterns across her lower back and she shivered a little when he accidentally tickled her ribs.

 

“Cold?” He reached for the covers but paused as Emma shook her head against him. She pulled back enough to meet his gaze and smiled.

 

“No, you just tickled me.” He couldn’t suppress the mischievous smirk that appeared at those words and Emma immediately went on the defensive. “ _Don't._ I will punch you in the face, Killian Jones. I am really, really comfortable right now. Don’t make me move.”

 

His hand wrapped around her shoulders and he pulled her forehead to his lips.

 

“Don’t worry, I’m quite content to keep you right where you are, love.”

 

They both thought that they had slept as much as they could, but their activities left them with renewed exhaustion. Without planning on it, as the minutes passed they dozed off into another peaceful slumber. 

 

 

* * *

 

 

When Killian awoke for the second time, it was to the sound of music. It was faint but enough to force his tired eyes open.

 

He was disappointed to find the bed empty of one beautiful blonde savior. She had covered him with the blankets and as he reached for the spot next to him where he’d hoped to find her lingering warmth, instead his fingers found nothing but the cool sheets a stiff piece of paper.

 

He squinted, the morning light that filtered through the bay window blurring his vision a little, and read the scribbled note. He’d hoped it would be something romantic, but it just read:

 

_‘The dresser on the right is yours. – E’_

He chuckled, dropping the note in favor of rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He glanced over at the alarm clock: 8:03 a.m. A yawn escaped his lips and then a dopey grin stretched across his face as he recalled all the events from only hours earlier. Emma had been an absolute vision. He wished he could permanently burn the images onto the back of his eyelids to relive the moment whenever he pleased. The muted music faded out and another tune began building in its place.

 

It was 8:09 before he managed to force himself away from the bed and he found that Emma had stocked an entire wardrobe worth of clothes for him. The first thing he pulled out was a pair of black flannel pants, and he was too tired (and honestly, didn’t really care) to deal with anything else. He slipped them on and went to the foot of the bed for his brace and hook, kicking away his dirty clothes.

 

When he opened the bedroom door the scent of cooking food filled the air and his stomach growled almost on cue. He made his way downstairs to the source of the music, and, more importantly, where he knew Emma was waiting for him.

 

When he reached the bottom of the stairs and turned toward the kitchen, Emma had her back to him. She was in a clean tank top and the shortest shorts he’d ever seen (she may as well have just been cooking in her underwear) and her hair was piled atop her head in a messy bun. He tried not to make a sound, smiling but holding in his laughter, when he saw Emma’s hips swaying and head nodding along to the music as she flipped pancakes. He made no move to alert her of his presence, choosing instead to enjoy the sight of her lovely ass rocking to the beat of the music.

 

As she finished stacking the pancakes on a plate next to the stove, Killian saw his opportunity. He tiptoed behind her and in one swift movement he grabbed her waist, spun her, and then dipped her in his arms, quieting her surprised squeal with a firm kiss. It took her a moment to register what was happening, but then she was snaking her arms around his neck and smiling against his lips.

 

The kiss ended with a loud smack and he helped pull her upright again. She laughed and pressed her hands to his chest, eyes gleaming with mirth.

 

“Well good morning to you, too,” she grinned. “I was just about to come upstairs to wake you up.”

 

“How long have you been awake?”

 

She glanced at the clock on the wall and shrugged.

 

“About an hour. I did try to go back to sleep but I’m actually feeling pretty awake and refreshed this morning.”

 

“Hmm… I wonder why that is,” he teased, his tongue peeking out between his teeth as the goofiest smirk lit up his features.

 

Emma snickered at his flirting. His hair was sticking up at all angles and the kohl under his eyes had smudged overnight. He was still stupidly handsome, but Emma appreciated that their cohabitation would allow her to see him like this – completely unguarded, openly affectionate, and disheveled from a night in their bed.

 

And, if she were honest, the lack of clothing was nice, too.

 

“Go sit. I made bacon and pancakes.” He kissed her once more before sitting at the table. She fussed around the kitchen, making sure both plates had an equal amount of food (there was an odd number of pancakes, the runt made with the last bit of batter, and she put that one on the top of Killian’s stack) and then set them down at the table. Then she filled two mugs with coffee from the pot and joined Killian.

 

Emma nearly laughed at the way Killian was scarfing down breakfast. She was used to seeing Henry eat with such enthusiasm but Killian was usually very well mannered at the table. Perhaps his appetite for _her_ , as enjoyable as it had been, made his appetite for food that much greater the morning after. She pursed her lips, hiding her smile by taking a sip of coffee.

 

Killian seemed to realize he was inhaling his breakfast like a starved animal and sat back, taking a deep breath and clearing his throat. Emma tried to school her features back into neutral, but he’d already caught on that she was forcing down a smile.

 

“… It’s delicious, love.”

 

Emma couldn’t hold back her laughter at that, and Killian’s ears quickly developed a rosy pink hue. She reached over and grasped his hand in her own, her chest still rumbling with breathy laughs.

 

“You and I are living together now, Killian. You can reserve your table manners for date nights, but this is our home and you’re welcome to be as… _ravenous_ an eater as you want. No judging.”

 

He smiled warmly at that, but then a very obviously fake frown morphed across his features.

 

“No judging? Then why were you laughing?” he argued, mock-offended. She let out another fit of chuckles, her voice light and happy and pulling on Killian’s heartstrings in the best possible way.

 

“Because you’re cute. And I love you.”

 

“Cute? I think you mean devilishly handsome. ‘Cute’ is a term for babies and small animals, Swan.”

 

“Nope. You’re cute. Adorable. The sweetest.”

 

She beamed as she entwined their fingers together and Killian sighed heavily and rolled his eyes, feigning exasperation. But he was unable to fake it for long, especially with Emma slowly and purposefully leaning towards him, her eyes staring intently at his lips.

 

They were close enough that he could feel her breath against his skin, his eyelids drawing closed, when the soft pop music flowing through the speakers faltered and a loud, glaring tone echoed through the kitchen in its place. His eyes shot open and Emma pulled away, both startled.

 

Emma cringed and gave an apologetic shrug.

 

“Sorry, that’s Dad’s ringtone.”

 

She let go of his hand and shuffled to the counter where her phone was plugged into the speakers and yanked the cord away. David’s happy grin greeted her on the screen and she sighed before swiping to answer the call.

 

“I thought you were supposed to let me get my beauty sleep,” she said in lieu of a greeting.

 

“Sorry, I know, but I’m officially un-grounding you.”

 

David’s voice sounded tired and a little alarmed. Emma glanced back at Killian who was raising both his eyebrows in question.

 

“What’s wrong?” She took the small stride over next to where Killian sat and leaned back against the table.

 

“Well… a lot happened last night. I’m afraid we have a lot of long days ahead of us. I’ll brief you both down at the station.”

 

“Both?”

 

“Yeah, bring Hook. I imagine he’ll want to hear the news, too.”

 

“Got it.” She wiped a hand across her face. She had barely gotten one night of bliss and now it was obviously back to the grind. “We’ll be there soon.”

 

“Thanks. And Emma?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“You may want to skip the walking. There are… quite a few new faces in town and I think it’s best if you avoid unnecessary contact with any of them just yet.”

 

“ _Ugh_ ,” she growled, dread filling that space in her stomach that just moments ago held nothing but butterflies and saccharine sweetness. “Fine. Please make sure there is like, a bucket of coffee waiting for me.”

 

“Will do, princess.”

 

Without voicing any goodbyes, Emma pressed the end button and unceremoniously collapsed into Killian’s lap.

 

“Trouble, Swan?” he asked, sounding as if he was already resigned to another day of madness.

 

“When is there _not_?”

 

She jutted her bottom lip out a bit, pouting like a child, and Killian just leaned in and gave her a chaste kiss.

 

“Let’s not dally, then, aye?” he asked, giving her a flirty wink and improving her spirits with almost no effort at all.

 

“Right.” She lazily thrust her fists in the air. “Let’s go save Storybrooke.”


End file.
